Improvement in car-couplings



G. E. WOOD.

Car Coupling,

No. 42,710. Patented May 10, 1864.

l Jhventom W'itnesses= AMFHOT'Q-LITHO. col uxwnwnz's PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WOOD, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT lN To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. Wool), of Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and ImprovedOar-Oouplin g and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my invention, taken intheline mm, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

This invention relates to an improved carcoupling of that class whichconnect or couple themselves, and are commonly termed selfcouplings.

The invention consists in the employmentl or use of a pivoted pin inconnection with a fastening arranged within a draw-head in such a mannerthat the link or shackle in ent'iing the draw-head will engage itselfwith the pin and the latter adjust itself in a proper relative positionwith the fastening so as to be retained by the latter, the pin beingvery readily released, so as to tree the link or shackle whenever it isrequired to disconnect l the coupling, as hereinafter set forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully i understand and constructmy invention, I will i proceed to describe it. 5

A represents a draw head, which may be} c nstructed of wrought or castiron and connected to the car in the usual way. The drawhead is providedwith a flaring front to admit ot the link or shackle B passing readilyinto f it, and within the draw-head there is fitted a pin, 0, whichswings loosely on a pivot, 01, at a short distance from its center. Thelower j part of the pin 0, or the part below the pivot CAR-COUPLINGS.

dated May 10, 1864.

a, is heavier than its upper part, so that the former will, by its owngravity, have atendency to keep the upper part in an upright position.The lower part of the pin 0 swings loosely in a chamber, 1), which isbelow the chamber 0, in which the. end of the link or shackle passes, aslot, d, being in the bottom of chamber, 0, to admit of the free play ofthe pin 0. In the top of the draw head A there is a fastening, D,composed of a bar which works on a pin, e, and has a notch made in itsunder side to form a shoulder, f, against which the upper end of the pin0 catches under the pull of the link or shackle, as will be seen byreferring to Fig. 1. When the link or shackle passes into the draw-headA, the former shoves back the upper part of the pin 0 and passes behindit on account of the superior gravity of its lower part, the pinassuming an erect position when the end of the link has passed it andextending through the link. The pin holds the link or shackle on accountof its upper end coming in contact with the shoulder f of the fasteningD. In order to release the link or shackle, all that is required issimply to raise the iastening D so that the shoulderf will clear the pin0.

The coupling is the same at both ends of the car.

Having thus described I claim as new, and ters Patent, is-

The pivoted pin 0, in combination with the fastening D, arranged withinthe draw-head A to operate in connection with a link or shackle B,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEO. E. WOOD.

my invention, what desire to secure by Let- Witnesses:

JAMES B. SMITH, UYRUs M. THORNTON.

